Replicas of Christopher Columbus' ships visit Knoxville

A replica of Christopher Columbus' ship Niña sails down Fort Loudoun Lake near Sequoyah Park on Thursday. The vessel, along with a replica of the Pinta, is open to the public through Nov. 17.

Replicas of Christopher Columbus' 15th-century exploring ships Nina and Pinta wound their way Thursday from Chattanooga to Knoxville on the Tennessee River system.

The ships are open to the public as floating museums through Nov. 17, and are docked at Calhoun's on the River on Neyland Drive.

Although exact records of the ships have been lost, the visiting replica of the Nina is billed as the "world's most historically accurate" version of the ship that Columbus sailed across the Atlantic on his three voyages of discovery beginning in 1492, according to Capt. Kyle Friauf.

It has been featured in the film "1492: Conquest of Paradise," directed by Ridley Scott, and has braved more than 4,000 miles on open seas, including 20-foot waves.

Perhaps the most notable feature of the Nina is its size, just 65 feet long with an 18-foot beam. The Nina was a caravel ship, a common trading vessel at the time, with both square and triangular sails.

"It's not that big," said Friauf. "When you imagine setting off into the unknown in this, it's pretty amazing."

The modern Nina has five crew members this week, while Columbus crammed 27 men in the same space, plus live animals for food.

"There was no refrigeration," explained Friauf. "The best way to preserve your meat was to keep it alive."

The Pinta replica is larger than the original at 85 feet long. Both are made of wood and covered in a black tar-based paint called pitch.

"It's 'pitch' black," explained Barry Young, a volunteer crew member from Madisonville, Ky., who is finishing up five weeks on the Nina.

"I'm an old sailor," said Young, 61, who also served on a ship in Vietnam. He saw the replica ships in Kentucky and decided to apply, closing his business at home as a land appraiser.

"I'm enjoying my semi-retirement," said Young. "The funny part is I didn't tell my four daughters I was going to do this; I just posted it on Facebook, with me and a picture of (a crewmember) dressed up as Columbus."